Binghamton's population, according to the 2000 Census, is 47,380 (1990 Census: 53,008). The Binghamton Metro Area includes approximately 252,000 residents. Part of the "Triple Cities," which also includes Endicott and Johnson City.
History
The city was named after William Bingham, a wealthy Philadelphian who bought the surrounding land in 1792. Before that, the first known people of European descent to come to the area were the troops of Gen. John Sullivan in 1779, during the American Revolutionary War.
Nicknamed the "Parlor City" for its lack of industry and the people who lived in stately mansions, the city was founded as a village in 1834 and incorporated in 1867. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many immigrants moved to the area, finding an abundance of jobs, leading them to call it the "Valley of Opportunity." Famous people from Binghamton include Rod Serling (creator of "The Twilight Zone") and Johnny Hart (cartoonist of "B.C." and "The Wizard of Id").
Binghamton is noted as being the birthplace of both IBM and the flight simulator. It is also famous for Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root and the invention of margarine. Until the Cold War ended, the area never experienced an economic downfall, due in part to the generosity of employers (IBM and Endicott-Johnson) and also because of its defense-heavy industries. This concentration of the defense industry made the area the 7th most likely area in the nation for a nuclear attack during the Cold War, and the population peaked at around 85,000 in 1950.
Binghamton University, part of the SUNY system, is one of the nation's top public universities.
It is the "carousel capital of the world," with six working carousels in the area. The Ross Park Zoo is the fifth-oldest zoo in the nation. It is also the home of the annual Spedie Fest and Balloon Rally, held at Otsiningo Park. The B.C. Open, part of the PGA Tour, is played at the En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott.
The nearby suburb of Vestal has become a shopper's mecca, with many malls along a 5-mile stretch of the Vestal Parkway.
The area is home to the Eastern League's Binghamton Mets (AA affiliate of the New York Mets) and the Binghamton Senators (AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators).The Region Today
Current major companies in the area include IBM, L3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, BAe Systems, and Universal Systems.